Weapons having barrels for discharging munitions are primarily adapted to be griped in the vicinity of the trigger, more particularly via a “pistol grip.” A wide variety of styles and configurations are know for pistol grips, key considerations being functionality, ergonomics, and aesthetics.
For “long” barreled weapons, rifles for instance, forward support of same is accomplished via hand placement upon the forend, e.g., a barrel handguard or the like (i.e., a lower portion of the forward portion of the weapon). With the advent and advancement of weapon systems, for instance tactical weapons, the functionality of the “weapon” has become quite diverse, a challenge being to maintain an ease of use of the variety of features thereof, and avoidance of a cumbersome, inflexible and heavy weapon system.
Many members of the armed services and law enforcement officers, are issued, and carry a tactical weapon system which includes a “host weapon” (e.g., a rifle) which is equipped with, or may be equipped with, a variety of “supplemental devices,” for instance a 40 mm grenade launcher. Such host weapons, sometimes referred to as modular weapon systems, are further configurable or adaptable to receive a variety of rails, interbars, or rail systems, upper/lower receiver and/or handguard components, buttstocks, or other accessories (e.g., sites, illumination devices, sling attachments or anchors, etc.). Traditionally, weapon system accessories have been manufacturer specific, each manufacturer of modular weapon systems providing items for integration with their rail, rail system etc. Although forward pistol grips are known and commercially available for integration with a forend assembly of a weapon, more particularly a rail or rail system, the variety of forend configurations available for a weapon have precluded a more versatile, “one size fits all” solution for forwardly supporting a weapon system in its variety of configurations.
For instance, in a weapon system comprising a host weapon (e.g., rifle) and a supplemental device (e.g., grenade launcher), the launcher mounts to the rifle in a position which places the launcher in the front half of the rifle, and below the rifle barrel. This location has been the standard of armed forces worldwide since the introduction of the rifle mounted grenade launcher about 40 years ago.
While the above described attachment method of the launcher to the host rifle may be the most practical solution for the integration of these separate devices, it does not provide the user with the best solution for carrying or operating the rifle or the launcher when the two devices are combined.
Carrying or operating the rifle/launcher combined weapon system requires that one of the operator's hands be placed on the pistol grip of the rifle, near the rifle trigger, while the other hand is placed near the forward end of the weapon system, beneath the grenade launcher, to support the system in a position chosen by the operator for carrying and/or operation of either device. The right hand, typically used to support the rear end of the rifle at the pistol grip, and to operate the rifle trigger, is partially wrapped around the pistol grip which allows the operator to close their fingers around same, and use their index finger to fire the rifle. The left hand, typically used to support the forward end of the rifle (i.e., the end away from the user) is placed below the grenade launcher, in a palm-up cup or cradle position, with the fingers and thumb wrapped partially around the launcher handguard to both support the weight of the rifle/launcher combination and control its orientation in all axes.
The palm-up position required of the operator's left hand is necessary because of the ribbed handguard of the 40 mm launcher barrel cannot be gripped by the operator's hand in any other way. Because the barrel is located below the launcher receiver, the handguard does not and cannot fully encircle the barrel, making it thereby impossible for the operator to wrap their hand around the barrel to establish a strong grasp on the barrel. This results in weak control of the weapon system and increased operator fatigue due to the necessitated hand position and orientation with respect to the weapon system, more particularly, the launcher thereof.
The diameter along the launcher handguard is over 2.25 inches, which is more than 50% larger than the optimal grip diameter for an operator with average sized hands to grip an object by wrapping their fingers around it, and having at least one finger wrap back to their thumb. The launcher barrel handguard is not sized to provide the best gripping surface, it is sized to accommodate the 40 mm barrel within it.
With the knowledge that this rifle/launcher combination is now front-heavy because of the shift in the rifle's center of gravity with the addition of the launcher, and that the handguard's diameter and orientation are controlled by the functional characteristics of the launcher, both a user and non-user understands why this weapon system combination, while highly desirable for its capabilities, is hard to control and is fatiguing to carry and operate, primarily because of the hand position and orientation required. The only solution to relieving the fatigue and adding additional control over the system for the operator is to change the way in which the operator holds the launcher.
There are many obstacles to developing a better way to grip the launcher. To provide maximum comfort, leverage and efficiency to the operator, the area in which the launcher is handled should not be changed, only the operator's hand position. The only way to change the hand position as required to grip the launcher is to add a gripping device. Adding any component, assembly or device to a 40 mm grenade launcher barrel presents a variety of challenges, some of which are discussed herein below.
First, the M203 40 mm barrel handguard is made of a thin plastic material which is designed primarily to serve as a location for the operator to place their hand. As there is very little heat produced when firing through an M203 barrel, the handguard is not specifically required to perform an insulating function.
Second, the M203 40 mm handguard surface is interrupted by two cartridge retainer rivets and a handguard locator rivet. Such structures may interfere with attachment solutions, and therefore require consideration.
Third, the M203 40 mm barrel is a thin wall design which precludes using fasteners which only partially penetrate the barrel wall. As a matter of fact, the barrel handguard is adhesively adhered to the barrel because the barrel walls prohibit the use of fasteners. Furthermore, weapon barrels are generally not pierced by fasteners because of their prime function to contain exploding gases. Any solution requiring a fastener which breaches the barrel wall is not possible. Further still, the thin wall of the barrel prevents any attachment solution which could distort the barrel by applying pressure unevenly, such a barrel being incapable of proper performance.
Fourth, the barrel assembly of the M203 is designed for removal from the receiver without tools. This allows for easy cleaning by the operator as the barrel is the component most dirtied by firing. Being able to clean the barrel as a separate component keeps the rest of the receiver, and the rifle to which it is attached, uncontaminated by the cleaning process. Any grip attachment solution which prevents or inhibits this barrel removal process is undesirable. Furthermore, cleaning the barrel can be a messy affair using solvents to remove barrel reside and then repeatedly rinsing the barrel to remove the solvent residue. The barrel and handguard get contaminated on the outside during the process and must also be cleaned. A dry handguard is essential for the operator to maintain a grip. Any grip attachment solution that remains on the barrel during the cleaning process becomes another area to clean and is therefore undesirable.
Fifth, the barrel is also removable from the receiver to allow an armorer to perform repairs. Without removal it would be impossible to re-stake or change the barrel extension, repair or replace the cartridge locator or the cartridge locator spring. To perform these repairs the barrel is placed in a vise or other holder which positions and supports the barrel assembly along the sides and on the bottom during repairs. Any grip attachment solution that remains in place in any of these areas would inhibit maintenance activities and is likewise undesirable.
Finally, the handguard can be removed from the barrel for the repair of the cartridge retaining springs or for replacement of the handguard itself. Any grip attachment solution which is permanently affixed to the handguard would either inhibit or make this activity or exchange impossible.
Thus, it is highly desirable and advantageous to provide a weapon grip assembly for supporting a forend of a weapon or weapon system, more particularly a versatile weapon grip assembly for select integration with a 40 mm grenade launcher which:                is commercially available “off-the-shelf” and requires no developmental effort;        can be fitted to any M203 launcher now in service, with no modifications of same required;        is small, lightweight and rugged;        is not permanently mounted onto the launcher barrel assembly;        can be quickly attached and detached from the launcher handguard by the operator without tools;        conforms tightly to barrel surfaces;        does not pierce the barrel or handguard;        can be adjustably positioned on the launcher to suit operator size preferences and comfort;        can aid and/or improve the firing accuracy of the weapon system (e.g., rifle and launcher) by allowing the operator to have improved control on the weapons because of a better grip;        does not hamper or prolong maintenance activities of the launcher or rifle;        does not implicate nor involve additional launcher or rifle operational considerations or limitations;        requires no additional operator training for use thereof;        improves operator weapon control, and thus, its safety;        reduces operator fatigue by improving the method by which the launcher and rifle are operated and carried;        allows the operator to easily focus all energy into motions associated with opening/closing the launcher barrel by reducing the effort required to grip the barrel while in motion;        enhances the loading and re-loading operations of the M203, making them faster and more controllable, thereby allowing faster aimpoint acquisition by the operator for firing the next round;        provides improved firing speed and accuracy which makes the operator safer and more effective;        allows the operator to easily maintain or re-establish a firm grip on the launcher and rifle in humid, wet or snowy conditions or in the presence of any other contaminants which now make these actions difficult with the current hand position required to grip the launcher handguard; and,        allows the operator to easily maintain or re-establish a firm grip on the launcher and rifle while using the weapons while walking, running or after a fall or other unexpected activity. This improvement in control makes the operator more effective and safer to others around them.        
With weapon adaptability being an important consideration or factor for a weapon user, a “Rail Adaptor System” (RAS) has become a popular accessory for/on combat rifles and the like. There exists many versions of such systems, made by many manufacturers, see for example those produced by Knight's Armament Co.
Typically, a RAS is installed in place of the weapon hand guard (i.e., substituted therefore), and is intended to provide a universal structure (i.e., a rail) for mating attachment (i.e., receipt) of accessories, e.g., a flashlight, a thermal scope, a laser, etc., to the rifle at 3, 6, 9, and 12-O'clock positions about the weapon barrel. Known systems incorporate different rail lengths and integration techniques for attachment to the weapon. Some RAS consist of a two-piece assembly, namely, a first portion providing rails at the 3, 9, and 12-O'clock positions, a second portion providing a rail at/for the 6-O'clock position. It is advantageous that the rail of the 6-O'clock position be separately removable so as to permit grenade launcher installation (i.e., in lieu thereof, as each structure competes for the same physical space, and generally uses the same attachment points on the weapon).
The RAS system was originally proposed by the United States Army in 1998 so as to provide to all vendors a common style of attachment point to the M-16 rifle. While specifying the beveled lateral edge of the rail (i.e., its profile), the circumferential clock positions for the rails about the weapon barrel, and the call outs of the spacing between the crossbars of the rail and their marking (e.g., B22, B28, etc. for “bottom,” with “T” designated for “top”), implementation of the solution (i.e., weapon integration strategies) was left to those in the marketplace.
In addition to the aforementioned accessories (i.e., flashlights, scopes, aiming aids, etc.), rail mount grips (e.g., vertical forend grips), are available for affixation to the rail, with heretofore know rail mount grips characterized by a female mounting flange which is slidingly received upon a rail of the RAS, and is thereafter selectively bound against a portion of the rail via, for example, a threaded fastener which is tightened to engage or press against the rail so as to secure the grip thereto.
In a rail mount grip offered by Knight's Armament Co., a binding stud is threadingly received within an axial bore of a hand grip having a rail receiving flange. The binding stud includes a base or cap end which defines a lower-most extremity for the device, and a free end opposite thereof having a nub (e.g., a centrally located projection) on a top surface thereof. Upon sliding the grip, via the flange, longitudinally along and upon the rail, the binding stud is upwardly extended, relative to the grip, such that the nub on the top surface of the free end thereof locates one of the many slots or spaced apart channels in the rail (i.e., the knob is dimensioned to be received within any one of said slots or spaced apart channels). Thereafter, the binding stud is further tightened into pressing engagement with a portion of the rail.
The subject design has proved problematic, with the nub being susceptible to breakage and or deformation, and requiring further operator attention to appropriately position the grip upon the rail such that the nub will in fact fall into one of the many locating slots. Since the slot and the raised portions between the slots of the rail are the same width, the operator has a 50-50 chance of getting it right the first time. Miss the location, and the grip will not tighten up.
A further drawback of presently known rail mount grips is the requirement that they be slid on, more particularly, they be slid onto the rail of the RAS from the weapon front (i.e., the muzzle end) toward the weapon back (i.e. the butt stock end). Known grips cannot be slid onto the rear end of the rail because there is not enough clearance between the rail end and rifle receiver to allow access for alignment of the flange with the rail. This is a critical consideration should any other accessory be mounted on the rail forward of the grip. Should a user wish to remove the grip from the weapon, or move it to a different rail to improve handling, a lot of busy time is had configuring or reconfiguring the weapon. Thus, it remains advantageous to provide a weapon grip which is versatilely mountable to the rail of a RAS, further still, to provide a rail mount grip which has an easily operable secure fastening or affixation mechanism, namely one which abandons heretofore known sliding engagements and/or binding studs.
Further desirable and advantageous is a forend grip for a weapon or weapon system which is versatile in its securement methodology. For instance, and as alluded to herein, a weapon grip having an adaptability or convertibility for receipt by a variety of known weapon or weapon system structures is particularly desirable, more particularly, a weapon grip characterized by grasping jaws. For instance, a weapon grip having replaceable or substitutable jaws for grasping a grenade launcher barrel on the one hand, or a rail of a RAS on the other hand is especially advantageous.
More specific features and advantages obtained in view of those features will become apparent with reference to the drawing figures and DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.